'aubrietia' originates from modern Latin, specifically the botanical name 'Aubrieta', which was formed from the French surname 'Aubriet' in honor of the botanical artist 'Claude Aubriet'.

'Aubrieta' was coined as a Latinized genus name in botanical Latin (18th–19th century) based on the personal name 'Aubriet' and was adopted into English horticultural usage as 'aubrietia' (and variant spellings 'aubrieta'/'aubretia').

Initially the name referred to the person 'Aubriet' (as a commemorative, Latinized form), but over time it evolved to denote the plant genus and, in common use, the garden plant itself.